Portuguese Podengo

Podengo-type dogs have been on the Iberian Peninsula for a very long time, and hounds of this general shape appear in Portuguese art and hunting literature across the medieval period. The small variety was carried aboard Portuguese caravels during the age of exploration to control rats on long voyages, and the larger types worked deer and boar on land.

The breed's core job settled into rabbit hunting in rough Portuguese scrub. The Pequeno was bred small enough to follow rabbits into rocks and dense cover and flush them out; the Medio works in packs, tracking, flushing and retrieving; and the Grande, always the rarest, hunts hare and larger game alone or in pairs.

Formal standardisation came in the twentieth century. Portuguese cynologists worked to describe the varieties as a single breed with size divisions, and the standard for the large variety was fixed in 1953. The FCI recognises the Podengo in Group 5 among the primitive hunting types.

The Pequeno and Medio reached the United Kingdom and North America in recent decades, with American Kennel Club recognition of the Podengo Pequeno in the Hound Group in 2013 and the Medio and Grande still working through the Foundation Stock Service. In Portugal the breed is still very much a hunter's dog rather than a show dog.

The three sizes differ dramatically. The Pequeno stands roughly 8 to 12 inches and weighs 9 to 13 pounds; the Medio stands about 16 to 22 inches and weighs 35 to 44 pounds; the Grande stands 22 to 28 inches and weighs 44 to 66 pounds. All share the same outline: a pyramid-shaped head, large erect triangular ears, oval amber or brown eyes, and a lean, sturdy, slightly rectangular body.

Two coats are recognised. The smooth coat is short, dense and rather hard. The wire coat is longer, harsh and rough, with a distinctive beard on the muzzle, and arose from crossings during the twentieth century. Neither coat has much undercoat, and neither needs elaborate care.

Colours run through yellow, fawn and shades of brown from light to dark, and black, in each case either solid or with white markings, or predominantly white with patches of those colours. Movement is light, quick and springy, and the smaller varieties are notably good jumpers for their size.

Podengos are bright, busy and comically curious. They investigate everything, learn the household routine quickly, and are affectionate and playful with their own family without being needy.

Independence comes with the hunting heritage. These are dogs bred to make decisions in the field and to keep going after quarry, so recall is unreliable in many individuals and a chase is far more interesting than a person calling. Fences need to be solid and high enough, particularly for a breed that jumps and digs.

They tend to be reserved rather than effusive with strangers and will announce a visitor loudly, which makes them capable little watchdogs. Early socialisation smooths the natural wariness.

Prey drive is high. Podengos usually live happily with other dogs, especially given their pack-hunting background, but cats, rabbits and small pets are a serious risk unless the dog was raised with them and even then supervision is sensible. With children they are playful and good-natured, and the smaller sizes simply need protecting from rough handling.

The living job is rabbit hunting in Portuguese scrub and rock, where a pack of Medios or Pequenos tracks, flushes and retrieves and the hunter follows. The Grande's work on hare and larger game continues on a much smaller scale.

Outside hunting, the breed's speed and agility make it a natural for lure coursing, agility, barn hunt, scent work and canicross. Podengos are also lively, portable companions for people who enjoy long walks and do not mind a dog that thinks for itself.